Objective
Many new residential buildings ignore the cultural history of their surroundings. This architectural facade competition sought to connect a low-income San Francisco residential building to the historic Tenderloin neighborhood in which it is sited.
Solution
My winning competition design translates Miles Davis’ trumpet solo from his song “So What” into an algorithm, mapped across 16 architectural “measures.” The resulting pattern is a playful, dynamic representation of the song, connecting the building to the adjacent Black Hawk jazz club, where Davis often played, and to the neighborhood’s heritage.
“The judges were really blown away by the sophistication and the meaningfulness of what Sofia is proposing to create here. It’ll be a hidden code that’s such a reward for the community and references an integral part of the Tenderloin’s history.”
— Glenn Katz, Stanford University Lecturer in Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Process
Components of my competition submission, including Miles Davis concept ties, algorithm structure, and facade elevation.
